How to Grow Roses in the Texas Panhandle

Water roses deeply at ground level in the absence of rain. Roses require 1 to 1-1/2 inches of rain each week during the growing season. The good news is that most of the Panhandle's 22 inches of annual rainfall falls between April and September -- just when you need it. Use enough water each time to saturate the soil. Watering overhead wets the leaves and encourages disease. Water in the morning at the base of the plant to allow it to dry out before nightfall comes.

Apply 2 inches of organic mulch, such as shredded bark, in early spring to conserve water. This also protects the roots from harsh winds and hot sun, keeping the roots cooler in the summer.

Prune roses back in late winter -- about Valentine's Day -- with handheld pruners to make room for new growth and blooms. Most roses can be cut back to 12 to 18 inches. Trim out dead and diseased branches and those that cross each other. Leave a crown of four to eight canes that are evenly spaced and facing outward. Cut each cane just above an outward facing node.

Fertilize each rose plant with 1/4 cup general-purpose fertilizer such as 10-10-10. Sprinkle the granules over the root zone -- a 24- to 36-inch diameter -- and gently scratch it into the soil. If you intend to mulch at the same time, apply the mulch on top of the fertilizer. Do this when you do your spring pruning.

Deadhead spent blooms, which makes room for new growth and signals the plant to start blooming again. Cut long branches to reduce the height of the plant by about 12 inches. Cutting long-stemmed flowers serves the same purpose. Fertilize again the same time you deadhead. Continue the pruning-feeding cycle until early September, when you'll let the bush begin to slow down for winter's rest. Each cycle runs about four to six weeks.

Spray the tops and bottoms of all plant parts with ready-to-use rose fungicide spray when fungus -- such as black spot or rust -- appears. Look for products containing triforine. Apply spray in the evening to prevent scalding the leaves in midday sun. If disease is a constant problem, spray every two weeks. Rake up leaves and spent blooms as they fall so you don't harbor pathogens that can reinfect the plant.

Replenish mulch after the first frost in fall to moderate soil temperature during the winter. Water deeply in fall and winter only during severe drought.